Now widespread as conventional game machines as described above, are pinball machines in which a pattern matching game is executed on a display device, and an opening/closing operation of a variable prize-winning port which is provided on the game machine console panel and normally closed is repeatedly performed for a predetermined time or at a predetermined frequency in accordance with the result.
In the conventional pinball machine, a game machine console panel is erectly provided at the front surface side of the main body, and normally one kind of prize-winning unit to settle the kind of the game machine and enhance the game performance is mounted substantially at the center portion of the game machine console panel. The prize-winning unit comprises an elaborate mechanism which can vary the prize-winning probability in the game machine, and in accordance with the type of the prize-winning unit thus mounted, the game machine is classified into a first type game machine (so-called fever type), a second type game machine (so-called wing type), a third type game machine (so-called right type) and a fourth game machine (so-called one shot type).
Particularly, the game machine is provided with a special prize-winning port (so-called chucker) and a display device on which such a pattern matching as described above is performed. When a game medium (pinball) enters the special prize-winning port, a pattern matching game is executed in which three patterns (for example, a set of numerals [0] to [9] or a set of patterns) are varied on the display device of the game machine console panel and the variation of each pattern is stopped at a desired stop timing like a slot machine, and it is then judged whether a combination of the patterns is coincident with a big-hit pattern (for example, three numerals of 7 are aligned [777]). If it is a big-hit pattern, the variable prize-winning port is actuated in accordance with the big-hit pattern, and the game can be played with a relatively higher probability (prize-winning probability) than in the normal case. Such a pinball game machine, is called a "fever type" machine, the first type.
In the first type game machine, the occurrence probability of a specific combination of patterns on the display device is determined on the basis of random numbers which are generated by a built-in program (normally recorded in ROM), and no player can directly alter the program or control the generation of the random numbers to take an active hand in the generation probability of a specific combination.
As a result, the extent to which a player's skill actively affects the game content is limited to only the increase of an opportunity of a pattern rotating display (i.e., the frequency of entrance of a pinball into a special prize-winning port) to thereby increase the frequency of the generation of the random numbers.
Further, when a special prize-winning condition is generated due to actuation of a variable prize-winning device (attacker), if a player plays the game according to a predetermined procedure (so-called capture way), almost any play can gain the maximum given prize without difficulty, and thus gain a large number of prize-winning pinballs although some level of skill is needed.
In such a conventional game machine, however, a player's skill on the game on which the player can take an active handle is limited to the increase of the frequency of the random number generation as described above, and thus there is a problem that the game is liable to be monotonous and it has little appeal little to players and lacks amusement.
Still further, the special prize-winning condition based on the big-hit prize-winning (so-called fever prize-winning) is not obtained unless a combination of patterns is coincident with a prize-winning pattern (for example, alignment of three numerals 7 [777]), and thus there is a problem that consumption of pinballs at a player side is severe and thus the player loses his/her pinballs quickly, so that the player cannot really enjoy the game.
The present invention has been implemented in view of the conventional problem as described above, and has an object to provide a game machine in which a pattern matching game (for example, a poker game) is performed to enhance the game performance, appeal to players and enhance the amusement.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a game machine in which in addition to a special condition of a big-hit prize-winning, middle-hit and small-hit special conditions can be generated during the progress of the game until the big-hit prize-winning is obtained, thereby suppressing the consumption of the player's pinballs and enabling the player to enjoy the game, so that the game performance is enhanced, the game appeals more to players and the amusement of the game is enhanced.